Prologue
I tugged at the knot in my scarf, loosening it around my neck enough for me to feel the sharpness of winter tickling my flesh. My body felt heavy, discouraged. The numbness of the night was like a lead weight on my back, forcing me to slouch further into a slump as I dragged me feet across the pavement. The thought of me aging- becoming a teen- was horrifying. How many days with my friends did I have left before they'd wipe my memories of them? How many laughs? How many smiles? And then they'd all be forgotten. I- I didn't want to lose them. It wasn't fair!
"Hey, kid." I froze at the sound of a much too familiar voice. My stomach tied itself into tight knots. I closed my eyes and listened to the soft crunch of feet on snow. Crunch...crunch...crunch... And then nothing. I could feel the warmth of a body standing too close to me. Hovering over me. I held my breath.
"Chad?" I guessed. He didn't respond, but I could feel the air from his lungs brushing against my cheeks. A smooth smile slipped across my face. I shook my head. "What do you want from me, sunshine? Here to mock me again?"
"Mais, au contraire," he hummed rocking back on his heels, "I come baring gifts."
My eyes flew open, I whipped my head back to him still holding my breath. But he was gone, and in his place a small yellow gift. My knees buckled. I collapsed. With shaky hands, I reached out to touch the note attached to the present: "Don't trust Numbuh 1" it read "we don't have much time".
My lungs were exploding. I had to breathe! But I didn't want to. I wanted to stay frozen into. Lightly covered in a dust of snow. I didn't know how to show my face to my team. I didn't know if I could trust Chad, not anymore. I did't understand the note, at least not the first part. None of it was making any sense at all! Nothing was making me want to move. I just wanted to give up.
A loud rumbling exploded through the sky. I snapped my head up, waiting for something- anything. A sign. A streak of gold smoke zipped across the horizon, followed closely by a faded gray glimmer. Lights fired back and forth. My eyes widened in horror, they were fighting. Nigel Uno and Chad Dickson. I recognized their groggy silhouettes soaring and diving through the sky. But why was there no backup? Why were they alone?
"Nigel, this is insane!" Chad screamed. "You have to stop this! NOW!"
"And let adults continue to rule the planet? Ha! You're even more far gone than I though, filthy teen."
It was at that point I realized Chad wasn't fighting back. Not like Nigel. Nigel was shooting to kill. Chad was shooting to distract. I watched in slow motion as Nigel fired off another round at Chad and shot him straight out of the sky. But as he was falling, Nigel swooped in and caught him, then quickly flew off without a trace.
Was I really shaking? Why couldn't I move? Now that I wanted to, my body wouldn't let me. It was silently protesting. In denial. In shock. What did all of this mean? Who could I trust? Where would I go? What would my team think? I had to tell them. I had to.
